POPE Kiri, kiri, kiri QUOTE Cursillo celebrates 50 years in the INSPIRED WORDS Diocese of Erie, see page 3. FROM POPE FRANCIS “The rich man in the Gospel has no name, he is simply ‘a rich man.’ Material things, his possessions, are his face; he has nothing else.” www.ErieRCD.org BI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF ERIE October 27, 2013 New Liturgists suit fi led gather in Erie against By Mary Solberg Affordable FaithLife Vatican II Care Act ERIE—Archbishop Piero document Marini of Rome recalls watching FaithLife bishops day after day pour out of described as the Vatican hall where they gath- The Diocese of Erie—along ered 50 years ago to formulate the with Bishop Lawrence Persico constitutions, decrees, and decla- ‘matrix for other and several diocesan-affi liated rations that would forever change agencies and schools—fi led a new the Roman Catholic Church. reforms’ suit in federal court Oct. 9 over A young priest at the time, the revised contraception man- Archbishop Marini came to lowed participants to explore the Photo by Mary Solberg date in the new Affordable Care Rome in September 1965, only a theological principles of the doc- Act. few months before the close of the ument and its place in the world Three archbishops attended the annual national meeting of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Com- The 59-page suit that was fi led historic Second Vatican Council. today. Issued Dec. 4, 1963, the missions (FDLC) in Erie Oct. 8-12. Pictured, left to right, are: Archbishop Gregory Aymond, chair of in U.S. District Court in Erie asks Bishops and theologians began document ordered an extensive the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship; Archbishop Samuel Aquila of the Archdiocese of Denver; the government to not enact the gathering in 1962 to address more revision of worship so that people and Archbishop Piero Marini, president of the Pontifi cal Commission for International Eucharistic Con- mandate, which becomes effec- than a dozen aspects of church would have a clearer sense of their gresses. tive Jan. 1. The 13-county diocese life, ranging from interfaith rela- own involvement in the Mass and claims that a revision made to tions to greater lay participation other rites. can II as only the beginning of re- the original Affordable Care Act in the liturgy, from social commu- The Constitution on the Sacred forms within Catholic liturgy and still violates the diocese’s First nication to the church’s outreach Liturgy, Archbishop Marini told “Liturgy has to spread to the people. the church as a whole. The tradi- Amendment right to religious to the modern world. the audience, was really “a ma- tions of the church, Sister Bergant freedom. “Fifty years later, I feel a trix for other reforms” and pos- It has to be relevant to our lives. How added, are kept alive through con- “The simple truth is that the great nostalgia and a desire to sible changes yet to come. It is temporary culture. U.S. government is forcing the understand more fully and to not enough, he said, to look at the do we make people go out and do the The best way the church can Catholic Church to facilitate what experience anew the spirit of the written document as a manual for mission of the church? How do we share Jesus’ story, she said, is if it considers immoral,” Bishop council,” Archbishop Marini told reforming the church’s rites. it follows the lead of Pope Fran- Persico said in a s tatement. “As nearly 200 people gathered this “It was an event that contin- get back to the basics?” cis, who has opened his arms to Catholics and as Americans, we month in Erie for the annual na- ues even today to mark ecclesial the suffering, the outcast, the are obliged to defend the right to tional meeting of the Federation life,” the archbishop said. “It has — Bernadette McMasters poor, and the marginalized. For religious liberty for ourselves and of Diocesan Liturgical Commis- marked our ecclesial life so much Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va. Jesus, there were no “outsiders,” for others.” sions (FDLC). that very little of the church today she said, adding that some in The plaintiffs in the suit—led Clergy, sisters, and lay people would be as it is had the council the church are not accepting of by Bishop Persico—say they need in charge of Catholic worship in not met.” It still precedes us,” Archbishop tees, and Archbishop Samuel Aq- people who don’t fi t certain stan- time to plan for what benefi ts they dioceses across the United States Archbishop Marini, who is Marini said. uila of Denver spoke on the sac- dards. will provide to their employees came together Oct. 8-12 to con- president of the Pontifi cal Com- Two other archbishops attend- raments of initiation as a source “This is not the church of beginning in 2014. Other plain- duct regular FDLC business. But mission for International Eucha- ed the national meeting, co-spon- of life and hope. Christ,” Sister Bergant said. tiffs include: St. Martin Center, the larger purpose this year was ristic Congresses, told the litur- sored by the FDLC and the U.S. Also speaking was author and Dolores Martinez attended the Erie; the Prince of Peace Center, to mark the 50th anniversary of gists that Vatican II did not give Conference of Catholic Bishops Scripture scholar Sister Dianne national meeting with Father He- Farrell; and the Erie Catholic Pre- Sacrosanctum Concilium, or the the world static documents. In our Committee on Divine Worship. Bergant, CSA, a distinguished liodoro Lucatero, director of the paratory School, which includes Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, ever-evolving culture, the Catho- Archbishop Gregory Aymond, professor of Old Testament Stud- Offi ce of Worship in the Archdio- Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria one of the best known documents lic liturgy is incomplete unless it chair of the USCCB Committee ies at Catholic Theological Union cese of San Antonio. As a former Academy. of Vatican II. renews communities of faith. on Divine Worship, reviewed the in Chicago. The weeklong conference al- “The council is not behind us. workings of the various commit- All speakers referred to Vati- See LITURGISTS, page 2 See NEW SUIT, page 3 FFlocklock ooff bbirdsirds givesgives addedadded meaning to weddings, funeralss By Mary Solberg FaithLife Photo by Mary Solberg Jim Berdis of Erie handles a white pigeon in his Photo by Bill Stahl backyard. At left, the fl ock sits atop its wooden loft. he 80 pigeons Jim Ber- Pigeon Club since 1955, Berdis About 13 years ago, Berdis’ one to release the fi rst bird. But he’s also taken his white pi- pre-wedding handling session. dis keeps in his back- is carrying on a family tradition hobby took a spiritual twist when “After the service is over, the geons to weddings as far away as Anyone who has gone to the T yard are like family. He started by an older brother in the someone asked if he would re- grieving person releases one Greenville, Pa., and Ashtabula, opening day of Erie Seawolves has even hung a picture of the 1940s. He uses 50 of his racing, lease his pigeons at a wedding. white dove to symbolize their Ohio. baseball likely has seen Berdis Blessed Mother on an inside wall or homing, pigeons in contests Berdis bought some white doves loved one going home to heaven. “When I got married 48 years and his birds. He has released his of their loft to watch over the to see how fast and how quickly for the occasion, but he soon dis- And then I let the others free, like ago, I didn’t have white doves, pigeons at the downtown Erie cooing creatures. the birds return to his home on E. covered that doves don’t have as they are angels taking that person but I get the feeling that when I baseball park for fi ve years. “I put that picture there be- 12th Street. much stamina as pigeons. home,” Berdis explains. do this I’m helping a couple start “It’s a hobby,” says Berdis, cause I don’t want anything to Selectively bred to fi nd their He began breeding white pi- Usually, Berdis is contacted by their marriage off,” Berdis says. who is the brother of Father Don- happen to the loft or the birds. I way home over extremely long geons instead. Today, a family grieving families through local Although Berdis offers his ser- ald Berdis, pastor of Our Lady of thank God for allowing me to get distances, Berdis’ pigeons have of 35 white homing pigeons lives funeral homes. He has released vices free to family, he is forced to Fatima-St. Ann, Farrell, and Sis- up every day to enjoy them,” says won numerous races. The longest in Berdis’ loft. Upon request, birds at a number of cemeteries, charge others a nominal fee. The ter Kevin Berdis, OSF, principal Berdis, 75, a parishioner of Holy distance successfully traveled by he takes them to weddings and including Gate of Heaven and cost of gas and the time involved at Holy Family School, Erie. Family Catholic Church in Erie. his pigeons was 600 miles—from cemetery services throughout the Calvary, both in Erie. in attending weddings and fu- For Berdis and his wife, Bar- A member of the Erie Racing St. Louis, Mo., to Erie. area, setting the pure white birds “When I see a grieving per- neral services adds up. For wed- bara, the care and upkeep of the free to spread their beauty and son release the birds, it gets very dings, he usually charges creatures are worth it.